It's never too cold for ice cream. At least it wasn't when we were getting Swensen's! The night before we had driven past and there was a line out the door! Their curb was completely filled with people, so it deterred us from going. But after our dinner, we were seriously craving a sweet treat. They keep the doors open, so you can walk in and the delicious smell of ice cream wafts on to the street. And would you believe--no line! I walked right up to the counter and placed my order! Now, I always love niche flavors and they had plenty of them to choose from! I could've spent time going through and sampling some (which they offer), but I decided on their banana ice cream in a waffle cone. It was spectacular gimme 14 of them. The banana ice cream was creamy and didn't give off that artificial taste that some ice creams tend to have. And the waffle cone was the right move! Highly recommend to get it with whatever ice cream flavor you end up choosing. It was crispy and perfectly sweet! I now understand the line. Definitely a must visit for a sweet treat to end your night! read more

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I've been trying to hit more ice cream spots in the city, so what's better to try than Swensen's--an absolute classic! I got the Sticky Chewy Chocolate which I really liked! It was very rich (tasted very fudgey) and dense, which is exactly how I like my ice cream. The service was also good and I got to try a couple different flavors since it was my first time. I'll definitely be back at some point! read more

Swensen's - Sticky Chewy Chocolate - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Finally got to try Swensen's after a few years of living in SF and I see what the hype is all about! The flavors were so good, and so fresh! We tried the lemon custard, lychee, and sticky chocolate (my safe flavor haha) but wow I was blown away by the lemon and lychee! They were unbelievably refreshing yet not so sweet. I highly recommend trying those flavors and I will be back to try more!! read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I was in the area for dinner so after eating, I had to stop by here for some ice cream across the street. We were greeted as soon as it was our turn to order. I ordered the Bordeaux Cherry ice cream in a cup since I was kind of full from my meal. The Bordeaux Cherry ice cream had a great balance of cherry flavor and wasn't overly sweet, which I really liked. The line may look long while you're waiting outside but it moves very quickly so don't let it scare you. I'll definitely be back to try their other flavors. The only downside is that parking can be a challenge since it's located in a residential area. read more

Swensen's - Bordeaux Cherry ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lines can get crazy here at night, but they move quick because of the staff inside are efficient. Small little corner spot, but packed with many flavors! I tried a bit of everything with my crew, but honestly I just like vanilla . They definitely make a good scoop here and love the vibe of the location and the staff uniform. read more

Swensen's - Vanilla scoop cup - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Decided to stop by after dinner on a Friday night. First time at swensens after seeing and hearing about it for years. It did not disappoint. Decided to get 2 flavors the cookies and cream and banana flavor. So good the banana was super creamy and soft and the perfect riped banana Line wasn't too bad, probably 3 people in front of me. The servers were young and just having a good ol time. Love to see it! Would come back to try their other flavors. read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

so many flavors to pick from and the shop is super old school, aesthetic, and cute! definitely a must visit if you're a fan of Swensen's. I highly recommend the root beer float as they let you choose any flavors, and give you a gigantic scoop of ice cream in the cup. We got oreos and cream root beer float and it was a 10/10 experience. Service is super friendly and they give many samples! read more

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I feel like the great reviews are all because of nostalgia TBH. Ice cream is very average, but it's nice that they have so many flavors. Wouldn't go out of my way to go back. read more

I am so happy that we decided to visit. This is one of the few remaining, true "old-fashioned" ice cream shops. Their flavor selection and ice cream quality are absolutely standout- I would highly suggest trying their Swiss chip. The owner is a truly kind human. They have a wonderful, quintessential ice cream shop ambiance. He overheard that it was my birthday and made me an incredible layered sundae- which blew away any other I have had. Swensen's is the kind of place where you can have a genuine connection with them. We will absolutely be coming back, and I highly recommend you make a trip out to Swensen's. read more

Swensen's - Double Scoop Sundae & Swiss chip and banana cup - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm definitely biased but trust me...Swenson's is the local ice cream shop to go to for fresh strawberry ice cream. All their other flavors are just as good. I've been going since I was 4 because my grandma lived up the street and no matter what, I always go for strawberry, coffee, or cookies and cream. You won't find another shop in the city with big chunks of real strawberry like this. You might as well pick up a pint or two while you're at it! read more

Swensen's - Strawberry Ice Cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came for some ice cream and it hit the spot. I wished they had some seating area though to enjoy the sweets.

I've always been intrigued by the line out the door as someone who lives in the area, but Swensen's didn't live up to the hype for me. I thought their ice cream was fine, but all in all quite standard. I tried the caramel marble, which was a bit disappointing. It was a vanilla base with very little caramel. I also tried the raspberry brownie chunk, which had a good raspberry base, but the brownie chunks tasted like tootise rolls - doughy and not fresh. The flavors are more traditional, and perhaps I didn't order well. There's no seating, and lots of people stand around the ice cream shop to enjoy their treats. read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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No visit to the Russian Hill neighborhood near the Lombard Street tourist trap would be complete without a stop at the charming original Swensen's Ice Cream shop, open since 1948 at Hyde & Union. The shop is tiny, just a walk-up counter where you can check out the menu board, taste a few flavors, make & receive your order, pay, and get out - there is no seating and no place to linger inside. You'll likely see a line out the door and around the corner, but don't worry, it moves fast. Staff were wonderful, skilled at handling the crowd and quickly moving people through their transactions while still being friendly. Payment with smart phone was a snap. We visited in August 2025 on Sunday around 4:20p. The line was about 5 parties deep and we had our ice cream in hand by 4:40. I loved seeing the old classic menu flavors like Mint Chip and Rocky Road, as well as some more modern options like Lychee and Turkish Coffee. You can get typical cups and cones as well as sundaes, shakes, and floats, or pints and quarts for later. Almost everyone we saw (and our own group) veered toward the cones. I went with the flavor of the day, Lemon Blueberry Parfait, and it was a delight of tart lemon ice cream with a ribbon of blueberry syrup filled with giant, crunchy, frozen blueberries. My family went with cookies & cream and sticky peanut butter. Smiles all around for our group! read more

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I got to start off by saying I don't like ice cream or sweets but this place is probably one of the best if not the best ice cream places I've been to in my life haha. When it comes to ice cream I've only liked vanilla growing up but slowly I've started liking flavors that weren't sweet or the typical fruit flavors. My girlfriend and I came here because I finally decided to try it out and I did not expect it to be this good. I ended up getting the coffee and the toasted almond on a plain cone. Coffee is a flavor I always go for just cause I drink coffee almost everyday. Nothing crazy about this flavor but super good. The toasted almond though was super good. It had little chunks of almond and the flavor was just right. Service and staff were super friendly and they let you try as many flavors as you like so you get the best ones! It's a little small inside but the way they display the flavors on the wall and just the atmosphere inside is great. 10/10 experience and ice cream. You can even take it togo too! read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Try the banana flavor and any other. I was hesitant but listened to other reviews and the banana flavor was addicting. $8 and some change for a double and it's a huge double. Shareable Definitely worth going once and IMO I'd go again if I'm in area. Walking distance from Lombard St. read more

Swensen's - Inside - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Swensen's is my favorite ice cream parlor of all time! I always make a point to stop in whenever I am in the city. This trip was no different and just stopped by to get some Swiss Orange Chip. Nora was just the best! She made sure that I had just want I needed and was so sweet and attentive. Thank you for another great experience! read more

Swensen's is a true San Francisco classic! I stopped by on a Sunday around 4pm. It was definitely busy, but the line moved quickly. The flavors here lean more traditional, so don't expect anything too experimental like you might find at some of the trendier spots around the city. There's no seating, so it's more of a grab-and-go kind of place. I got the Caramel Turtle Fudge and Sticky Peanut Butter in a cup, and the scoops were super generous. Both flavors were rich and creamy. The combo of the salty peanut butter, sweet caramel, and crunchy pecans was perfect. read more

Swensen's - Menu - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you are someone who isn't crazy about American ice cream flavors and sweetness, this place may not hit for you. I say that as someone with a palette for more flavor packed products in ice cream and less sweetness. That aside this is an old school American shop and well known for what it does so it will scratch that itch for you. 4 stars for the craft but 3.5 for my own taste profile read more

Some history: I grew up in Austin, Texas and there was a Swensen's there. They had my favorite flavor of ice cream of all time; Swiss orange chip, a delicious dark chocolate/orange ice cream with chocolate chips. But it closed about 30 years ago, so I've never been able to get any since then. I was thrilled to discover there was still the flagship location in San Francisco when I went there on vacation with my family, and we had to go for the memories and of course the ice cream. The older man serving us was one of the most sweet and kind person I've ever met. He very graciously took a few pictures with us. We got some sundaes and a quart of swiss orange chip. This was some of the best ice cream I've ever had, and my family heavily agreed. He told us he grew up right around this Swensen's and his dream was to work there. And then his family moved away and a good probably 60 years later, he started working there. Apparently though, he's only been working there for one year although he seemed very experienced and competent. Going back to the ice cream, there were a ton of flavors and I'm assuming all were very good, but the sum of flavors my family got were Swiss orange chip, marble fudge, cookies and cream, Turkish Coffee, and vanilla. The overall ambience was great, we got there right before the big dinner rush came, and there were only about 2 people in front of us. I also got a VERY cute sweatshirt there. About an hour and a half later, there was a line stretching halfway down the block. Strongly recommend! (PS My 11-year-old wrote most of this review, but I agree with every word!) read more

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You already know that it's not the best ice cream in the world or the country or the state or the city or even Russian Hill. But I'm sure it's the oldest ice-cream shop on Russian Hill; it's seventy-seven years old! Yes, this is the original Swensen's, the very first outpost of an old and once proud (but now mainly ignored) business. It's a great place to take visitors from out of town, especially after you've ridden the cable car and/or visited the Cable Car Museum. I always think it's farther east than it is, but no, it's right at Union and Hyde. read more

Swensen's is the best! I've tried so many flavors at this point that my palette has genuinely changed. Cookies and cream is my favorite, and I love cookies and cream everything, but this one really hits because the chunks are REAL. That's kind of their thing actually, the chunks. Raspberry brownie fudge is loaded with them too. Even the nondairy is amazing, the strawberry has actual strawberry chunks in it. My go-to combo is banana, Rocky Road and strawberry. And watching them do the cone dips and shakes is half the fun. Swiss orange chip nails that orange chocolate flavor, lime is incredible, and the marble caramel fudge -- wow. We come here all the time and always leave with pints. No regrets :) Last but not least, the workers are always hustling and the owners are so sweet! read more

We drove by and decided to come! I was not impressed with the menu. I like weird flavors, and I just ordered strawberry and cookies n cream. I was amazed!!!! The strawberry flavor was so good!! It's basic, but so exquisite. I like the real strawberry, big pieces, in the ice cream. It's added a sorbet flavor and texture to it. The cookies n cream one was also delicious. It has big chunks of cookies in it. It was satisfying!!! The place is cute with cute young workers. They are fast and efficient. read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Classic SF ice cream spot. Great variety of flavors to choose from. Only comment is I think it is a tad expensive for what you get. Must visit spot if you are in the Russian Hill area. read more

Great place for ice cream with local neighborhood charm. Good flavors and great service. Smiles all around.

The Cookies & cream ice cream was great. Nice spot to stop in for a quick snack in the neighborhood.

so many flavors it's not even funny. Ended up getting an Oreo milkshake Long line for a reason, it's GOOD. Don't expect it To be like mind blowingly spectacular but it's solid. Love the old school ice cream shop vibes sm. read more

I was so pleased to find out that they have lychee (with real lychee bits)! Their ice cream has the nice sticky texture. There was a bit of a line, but it goes quickly. They also let you sample a few flavors. read more

Swensen's - Outside - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We took an evening walk through the city, about a mile, in search of some good ice cream. We often get ice cream in pac heights and the Marina, but not old school Swensen's. I had my heart set on Mexican chocolate--or at least rocky road--but unfortunately, neither are on their menu. Also, this isn't a typical ice cream parlor--there's no seating or even a bench outside to sit and enjoy your treat. You have to walk away. That said, there were some highlights. I ended up trying the seasonal lemon blueberry parfait and really enjoyed it. We each had a scoop of ice cream coming out to $10. Also, the scoopers were nice. read more

Swenson's is the city's true historic classic ice cream store that's been around for a long time. I started coming here as a little kid before it became more well-known, and I'm glad it still stands today. It's a solid ice cream shop. Lots of good flavors all over and the line is pretty bustling. Expect it to be busy on the weekends. But the lines move quickly. The flavors aren't anything crazy or super unique, but they cater more to classic flavors for the most part. I ended up getting the blueberry lemon ice cream and it was good! I liked the blueberry bits in the ice cream and the texture was creamy. The lemon tasted a bit too artificial for me since it had that candy lemon flavor to it. But that's just me, I still liked it regardless. I'll make my stops here again. I'll definitely lean more on their traditional flavors that they have next time! read more

Swensen's - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here after dinner on a Friday and there was a decent line. The employees were super nice about sampling flavors, which is great because there are tons of interesting ones that I've never seen in other places. I loved the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle flavor that I got -- such rich, creamy chocolate with a tart raspberry jam swirled in it. Perfect for sitting in the brightly lit shop or taking on a nice walk in the neighborhood. Can't wait to stop by again! read more

Swensen's - Chocolate Raspberry Truffle - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

While on our honeymoon, my wife and I wanted ice cream. We ended up choosing Ghirardelli, but found it disappointing. So much so, we wanted to find a locally renowned, hidden gem before leaving town. That's how we came across Swensen's. Swensen's was franchised many years back. However, this location, the original, remained exclusively owned by Earle Swensen until 1993. At that point, Richard Campana, who began working at Swensen's in 1959 at the age of 15, took over. Richard handed the business over to his daughter and her husband, Diane and Jim, in 2020. This location remains the only Swensen's left in the U.S. The ice cream, sorbet, and even the cones are all made in-house. My wife and I shared cups of cookies and cream ice cream and orange sorbet. Both were to die for. After coming here, I have a newfound respect for ice cream shops that still make their own product. If you're looking for a dessert shop in San Francisco, this should be your choice. read more

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Ice cream flavors are good here! Old fashion ice cream. Get your ice cream and get out. Small shop--no place for sitting. Got the strawberry and almond flavors. There may be a line out the door, depending what time you arrive. We got here on Saturday at 8pm, and there were 5 people in front of us. By the time we paid, there were at least another 10 people in line. read more

Swensen's is one of the oldest ice cream shops in San Francisco and it still emanates that old school charm. The bulbous lights and stripped down aesthetic make it feel like something ripped straight off of Main Street in Disneyland -- it's undeniably nostalgic. Yet, in comparison to the vast array of other offerings in the city it feels like a place that could use a little bit of an upgrade to improve the experience. The service is efficient but cold, the flavors are classic but basic, and the options are slim but priced very fair. The landscape of ice cream in San Francisco changed greatly with Humphry Slocombe in 2008 and has continued to evolve and become more competitive with other homegrown companies like Smitten and West Coast heavy weights like Salt & Straw. Even though it's not perfect, I'm really happy that places like Swensen's are still able to exist and remain as classic as the SF cable car, 49ers, and cioppino. Standout flavors are their iconic Sticky Chewy Chocolate, along with the Sticky Peanut Butter and Caramel Marble; but of course that will vary greatly on your personal preferences. This places as it currently stands is a 3 star establishment but for the the sake of San Francisco's history and the perseverance of Swensen's to make it through the pandemic and so many cultural and financial shifts over so many decades, I'm adding a full star. Anyone in the area should absolutely stop by for a scoop for a little sweet taste of the city's past. read more

Swensen's - Can't deny that old school charm - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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There is nothing keeping me together in this world except for the strawberry / vanilla combo pint. Literally no other ice cream comes close to the experience given to me by Swensen's. I hope whoever is working sees my order and giggles. read more

Went to Swensen's for the first time and wow the menu is a lot. Decided on getting the toasted almond and it was very tasty and balanced. If you like chocolate, this is the place too. They have a TON of chocolate flavors. I just got the junior cup and they really pack the cup. It was definitely around 2 scoops packed into the cup. Hoping to try the lychee flavor next time! read more

Can't believe I waited so long to try this place. It's one of the best ice creams I've had in the city: I tried their Turkish coffee and mocha chip flavors and almost went back from seconds It's a blessing and a curse that I live so close to it, definitely give it a try if you're close by! read more

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interesting place to keep an ice cream shop bc it's in between a bunch of residential buildings but nonetheless, i've heard about this sf classic! I sampled a couple flavors and ended up choosing the lemon custard- a great pick! all the ice cream was such a good texture and all bold flavors! definitely in my top 5 ice cream places! read more

We stopped by here after having dinner nearby. It's definitely your typical old-school ice cream parlor shop with minimal seating inside and your typical flavors. Service wasn't incredibly welcoming, but it could have just been the time of day. No line around 9pm on a Thursday. Tried the black raspberry marble which was good. Nothing crazy but done well, a bit sweeter than I would prefer. This is the more sticky, liquidity type of ice cream if that's what you like. Was nice to try. read more

Swensen's - Black raspberry marble (single) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is my favorite ice cream place in San Francisco. Funny thing, how to get to it? Good thing for the bus #45 Union and cable car, both stop at the corner. It's awful to walk up from Van Ness. Parking is next to nil. My favorite flavor is the sticky chewy chocolate. So chocolaty, no limit on the flavor. There are so many flavors but somehow this is my go-to. The staff are wonderful with their welciming smile. read more

A San Francisco Institution since 1948, they were across the US, and now have a franchise in Asia, but here is the only place to experience their recipe for turning local cream into a cold, creamy, tongue numbing joy. delicious is just a word. try their shakes also. My Mother's favorite. Try their fresh Banana. Service is fast and they go out of their way to make sure it's correct. I ordered a Hot Fudge Shake.. which is difficult to make.. and they did a wonderful job. I ate so fast there were no pictures. It's small.. so you may end up standing on one of the most beautiful corners in San Francisco .. looking down on Russian Hill, North Beach and see a Cable Car go by. read more